More perspectives on the Blues: Spirit or spirited?
By Venae Warner, April 20, 2007

Concert Bob and Joe’s “Tribe of Two, #2” Thurs, Apr 26 7pm Teatro Santa Ana Biblioteca Pública Reloj 50A 125 pesos

The blues came to America with west Africans unjustly imported to work on cotton plantations and to lay railroad tracks. Work songs provided rhythm and inspiration. From there, it was a natural progression to gospel music and blues. Who wouldn’t need grace, faith and a joyful noise while being involuntarily torn away from one’s home and family? Fruitfulness was created out of adversity.

In the late 19th century, the identity of black Americans was associated with their music. Initially, gospel and blues coexisted peacefully. The first person to coin the term “gospel music” was Ira Sankey in 1875. W.C. Handy, then known for his rudimentary marketing skills, first came up with the term “blues” and in 1912 used it in the title for Memphis Blues. At first there was a progression for gospel singers to assume positions with some of R&Bs favorites. Gospel favorite Rosetta Thorpe sang with Cab Calloway; Sam Cook crossed over from the gospel group Children of God; and Jackie Wilson started singing with the Dominoes. As blues began to take on related approaches to standard gospel riffs—for example, when Clyde McPhatter and the Dominos based their hit song “Have Mercy Baby,” on the gospel standard “Have Mercy Lord”—the churches began to object to the obvious plagiarism. Then Billy Ward from the Dominoes sang the hilarious “Sixty-Minute Man,” full of sexual innuendo, which added to the divisiveness of the black music scene. There is no valid claim to the blues being about grief. If you ever listen to the lyrics of the blues, there is usually humor and a strategy for life survival, making lemonade out of lemons, so to speak.

Even though in her early days Mahalia Jackson broke out with a lot of hip-shaking gestures that got her barred from the Baptist church, she eventually realized her gospel roots. She was quoted as saying, “Blues are the songs of despair, gospel songs are the songs of hope. When you sing gospel you have a feeling there is a cure for what’s wrong. When you sing the blues you have nothing to rest on.” Joe Warner appreciates the foundation of what Mahalia says but disagrees vehemently with her attitude in regard to the blues being about despair: “Blues is about facing what is wrong; name it, claim it and move on. It reports on the condition of the human heart, and what it’s like to be human.” Isn’t reporting on the human condition an essential part of the media arts? Contemporary blues accumulatively has evolved to a level where joy, laughter and pragmatic endurance is immersed into main-stream and old style blues.

Eventually Clara Ward and the Ward Singers performed on a regular basis in Las Vegas, a place not known for its virtue, but perhaps in dire need of some spiritual overhaul. The Staple Singers freely used the licks from the blues. Della Reese and Laura Lee, pioneer black feminists, moved from gospel to R&B without much hesitation. The unadulterated blues singers like Mamie Smith and Clara Smith sang their own songs of relationship challenges. Bonnie Raitt later promoted her own version of Clara Smith’s song “Don’t Advertise Your Man,” (always good advice). Billie Holiday torched her way into the blues with her own inimitable style, followed by Etta James and Dinah Washington. Fats Waller, a jovial figure, was both a pianist and a composer. Son of a minister and a superstar of his time, he was a “big” personality on and off the stage. He wrote “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Honeysuckle Rose.” Count Basie learned at the feet of Fats Waller, literally. Fats was hired to play piano for silent films in theaters and allow
ed Basie to push the organ foot pedals with his hands. Eventually Basie made his way to the keyboard and went on to form his own band. He, in turn, promoted Joe Williams and Billie Holiday. There was Big Joe Turner and Amos Milburn who was known for his focus on alcohol-related songs: “Bad, Bad, Whiskey,” “One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer,” “Let Me Go Home Whiskey,” “Thinking and Drinking,” “Vicious, Vicious Vodka,” the all purpose “Juice, Juice” and coming full circle with “Good, Good Whiskey.” The consequence of his single-mindedness, was a life plagued with many alcohol-related illnesses. Even though his humor was duly noted, it distracted from the significance of the blues—the survival of the soul.

With this in mind, you won’t find a more sober and fun-loving, blues-playing duo in town than Bob and Joe’s “Tribe of Two.” As a matter of fact, you would be pretty hard pressed to find any duos in San Miguel that play authentic American folk blues. They incorporate many influences while maintaining their own unique style, from Delta and Chicago blues to jazz and backwoods country. They strive to entertain you with songs that will make you involuntarily tap your toes and appeal to your soul. For the last time this season, Joe and Bob are performing at Teatro Santa Ana, which, in my humble opinion, has the best sound quality and showcases their intimate act perfectly.

Tickets are on sale at the Teatro and the bookstore.

Loving the new sound

Concert
Beatband recreates the Beatles
Fri, Apr 20, 8pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta
100/80/60 pesos


Musically speaking, everything has been said about The Beatles. There were no new songs that revealed the world, nor new sounds to discover. At least that was what we thought until LOVE appeared, the album which gave fans a new way of listening to the quartet that changed the world.

Their music is in our subconscious, a part of the soundtrack of our life. Even the new generations know it, as if it was their heritage. However, with LOVE (Emi, 2006), something extraordinary happened. It is a record that reflects sounds of a past time, allowing younger generations to identify with the past and, because of the new record technology and the musical concept of album, enabling older generations to participate in new ideas. 
Now in LOVE we can listen to The Beatles’ themes with mash-ups—amalgamations of more than one track to create a full and new experience—without necessarily having to be the best ones or the most poplar ones. In fact, it is not a risky sound, and perhaps it is the only thing that would be held up to criticism. Even Paul McCartney said to the British press that “the record should have gone further, risking a little bit more”. 

The wonder of LOVE is the way that all the songs are mixed in a sublime and delicate way. In common terms we can call it “The Beatles’ potpourri.” However, we must be more objective to determine that “Gnik Nus,” one of the themes included, is not more than “Sun King” of Abbey Road, but played the other way, and being entwined with “Something,” it turns splendid.

The producers have added elements rather than completely reinventing the tracks. It’s actually these extra elements—bird sounds in “Because,” choirs in “Eleanor Rigby,” chords in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”—that make LOVE so interesting. It makes it irresistible. And it is the magic of this new material that is being performed by the group Beatband, who, by mixing harmonies, instruments and interpretation achieve a perfect translation.

The Beatband performs pieces inspired by LOVE at Teatro Angela Peralta.

Voces Unidas Choir and San Miguel Ensemble in concert
By Liliana Gutiérrez

Concert Voces Unidas Choir Wed, Apr 25, 7pm Teatro Ángela Peralta 50 pesos

Next Wednesday, the Voces Unidas de San Miguel Choir and San Miguel Ensemble will be in concert at Teatro Ángela Peralta. Founded in 2003 by me and my husband, tenor Xavier Hernández, the choir comprises amateur singers and music lovers. He also serves as their director. 

This concert features Mexican, as well as Cuban and Latin music. Highlights include “Los Xtoles,” and a special arrangement of “San Miguelito” created by Hernández for the choir.

The San Miguel Ensemble includes Clara Dunham, soprano; Carly Cross, oboe; Enrique Prado, cello/piano; Ramiro Granados, bass; Hernández, tenor/flute; and Gutiérrez on the piano.

If you are interested in joining the choir, we rehearse in the Sala Quetzal, at the Biblioteca Pública on Mondays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7pm.

Support the choir program, an independent project of cultural and recreational relevance to the community, by buying a ticket to the concert, and have a night of aural pleasure. Tickets are available beginning this weekend. 

From Mayan to modern in Mexican music
By Flavio Sarabia

Concert The Chamber Orchestra of Celaya Fri, Apr 27, 7:30pm Teatro Santa Ana Biblioteca Pública Reloj 50A 100 pesos

The Chamber Orchestra of Celaya presents a special concert of Mexican music at Teatro Santa Ana on Friday, April 27. This concert focuses on the music of Maria Grever and Manuel M. Ponce among other early 20th century Mexican composers. For the first time, the ensemble plays arrangements of traditional music from Oaxaca, with some of the songs sung in the original Mayan dialect.

Founded two years ago and led by Flavio Sarabia, the orchestra comprises a seven-member ensemble that includes flute, oboe, violin, viola, cello and piano as well as a soprano and a tenor. One of the orchestra’s main goals is to investigate, recover and arrange some of the forgotten or less well-known Mexican music. 

The program includes English translations of all songs and, during the concert, some commentaries will be given in English.